Estudio ex post-facto del estrés a largo plazo en una muestra de personas adoptadas
In this work we study the impact of relinquishment and the adoption process in posttraumatic symptoms in a group of 55 adults that were adopted as children before 1970. The effects of institutionalization, maltreatment, traumatic revelation of the adopted status and stressful life events have also been studied. No significant differences were found between institutionalized and non-institutionalized adoptees in posttraumatic symptomatology. However, adoptees who suffered maltreatment, traumatic revelation and high level of stressful life events scored significantly higher in intrusion and arousal than those adoptees non-maltreated, without traumatic revelation and with low level of stressfu…
Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire: Factor structure, psychometric properties and gender differences
Abstract The evolutionary psychological approach links evolved mechanisms of disease-avoidance to prejudices against individuals perceived as a threat to health. Perceived vulnerability to disease works as an adaptive strategy which explains why individuals perceived as a source of contagion are avoided. The self-report Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, PVDQ, is one of the most widely used to measure subjective vulnerability to disease, however, neither test–retest reliability has been studied nor has factor structure been confirmed so far in this questionnaire. In the present study, a sample of 878 participants completed the PVDQ. Subsamples also completed different scales …
The relationship between Gray's and Eysenck's personality spaces
In a sample of 171 healthy volunteers, the present study examined the relationships between questionnaire measures of trait anxiety, punishment sensitivity, and impulsivity with the measures from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). This was undertaken in order to explore the relative location of the personality dimensions central to the ideas of Gray and Eysenck. Results confirmed that the behavioural inhibition personality dimension (anxiety) lies at a non-negligible angle relative to neuroticism (N) especially when measured via special purpose questionnaires. This dimension also appeared largely independent of psychoticism (P) which suggests limits on the importance of a hypoacti…
Ex post-facto study of long-term stress in a sample of adoptees
In this work we study the impact of relinquishment and the adoption process in posttraumatic symptoms and stressful life events in a group of 55 adults that were adopted as children after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The effects of institutionalization, maltreatment and traumatic revelation of the adopted status have also been studied. No significant differences were found between institutionalized and non-institutionalized adoptees in posttraumatic symptomatology and stressful life events frequency. However, maltreated adoptees scored significantly higher in intrusion, arousal and stressful life events frequency than non-maltreated. Similar differences were found in the comparison be…
Personality and reinforcement: An exploration using a maze-learning task
A computerized maze learning task was investigated under control, reward and punishment, provided by differing financial reinforcement contingencies. The relationships between speed crossing the maze and anxiety and impulsivity personality traits were explored. Anxiety is hypothesized to reflect a behavioural inhibition system active in punishing environments; and impulsivity, to reflect an activation system active in rewarding environments. Of the measures of impulsivity taken, only one—venturesomeness from the I7—was associated significantly with increased maze crossing speed; this was found particularly in the reward condition and in males. Several anxiety variables were associated with …
Gender, exercise, and health: A life-course cross-sectional study.
The purpose of this study is to explore relationships between the practice of exercise, gender, and health, from adolescence to old age, testing the magnitude of gender differences throughout the life cycle in the practice of exercise of Spanish people. A cross-sectional study with 4,575 women and 4,334 men, aged 13-85 years, was conducted. The participants were assessed on the weekly hours they dedicated to the practice of exercise, masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive traits, mental health symptomatology, and self-rated health). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in the age groups of adolescence, late adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and older age…
A Comparative Study of General Intelligence in Spanish and Moroccan Samples
The aim of this study is to fill a gap in intelligence research by presenting data for the average IQ in Morocco and for a comparable sample in Spain. Adult samples were administered theRaven Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM)(Raven, Court, & Raven, 2001) and scored for the total test and for the three sub-factors of gestalt continuation, verbal-analytical reasoning and visuospatial ability identified by Lynn, Allik, and Irwing (2004). The total test and the three factors have shown satisfactory reliability. Our results for the Moroccan sample show significant relationship between general intelligence factor, gestalt continuation and visuospatial ability with education level and income…
The Role of Age and Gender in Perceived Vulnerability to Infectious Diseases
Background: The study of the immune system has been approached using two separate paths, the biological immune system and the behavioral immune system. Recently, Gangestad and Grebe proposed a unique integrated compensatory immune system, where both systems work together and one of them could compensate for the other when necessary. However, few studies have confirmed the existence of this integrated compensatory immune system. Our study represents an attempt to explore the existence of this unique immune system, investigating if the behavioral immune system variables increase when the biological immune system weakens with age. Material and Methods. The cross-sectional design study was made…
Synthesis of new melatoninergic hexahydroindenopyridines
Hexahydroindenopyridine (HHIP) is an interesting heterocyclic framework that contains an indene core similar to ramelteon. This type of tricyclic piperidines aroused our interest as potential melatoninergic ligands. Melatonin receptor ligands have applications in insomnia and depression. We report herein an efficient two-step method to prepare new HHIP by the reaction of an enamine with 3-bromopropylamine hydrobromide. Some synthesized compounds showed moderate affinity for melatonin receptors in the nanomolar or low micromolar range. Furthermore, the methylenedioxy HHIPs 2d (N-phenylacetamide) and 2f (N,N-diethylacetamide), exhibited high selectivity at MT1 or MT2 receptors, respectively, …
Synthesis of azobenzene substituted tripod-shaped bi(p-phenylene)s. Adsorption on gold and CdS quantum-dots surfaces
We report here the synthesis of several tripod-shaped oligo(p-phenylene)s with legs composed of two phenylene units. Each leg is end-capped with a thioacetate group for adhesion to metallic surfaces. An azobenzene chromophore group is present on the functional arm of the tripod. The key step in the synthesis is the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of the silicon derivative core molecule with substituted phenyl moieties and azobenzene derivatives. Gold surfaces prepared by thermal evaporation and CdS quantum-dots surfaces were covered by the tripod-shaped molecules. Modified surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence, and Kelvin Probe analyses.
Efficient synthesis of hexahydroindenopyridines and their potential as melatoninergic ligands.
Hexahydroindenopyridine (HHIP) is an interesting tricyclic piperidine nucleus that is structurally related to melatonin, a serotonin-derived neurohormone. Melatonin receptor ligands have applications in several cellular, neuroendocrine and neurophysiological disorders, including depression and/or insomnia. We report herein an efficient two-step method to prepare new HHIP via enamine C-alkylation-cyclization. The influence of substituents on the benzene ring and the nitrogen atom on melatoninergic receptors has been studied. Among the 25 synthesized HHIPs, some of them containing methylenedioxy (series 2) and 8-chloro-7-methoxy substituents (series 4) on the benzene ring revealed affinity fo…
Evaluation of the Effects of a Bullying at Work Intervention for Middle Managers.
The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of a workplace bullying intervention based on the training of middle managers regarding bullying awareness, the consequences of bullying, strategies in conflict resolution and mediation/negotiation abilities. Overall, 142 randomly selected middle managers participated in the study. First, participants completed an information record and two scales assessing bullying strategies, role conflict and role ambiguity. The last two scales were completed again in a second phase three months after the intervention had finished. The intervention produced a decrease in the following bullying strategies: effects on self-expression and communication, effect…
Optimism as a key to improving mental health in family caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease
Objective: The aim of the present work was to study the serial multiple mediating role of optimism, perceived social support and subjective burden in the relationship between objective burden and psychological distress in caregivers of people with Alzheimer´s Disease (AD).Method: One hundred and forty family caregivers of people living with AD were recruited from randomly selected Alzheimer Association Centres. They answered the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), the Functional Social Support Questionnaire (DUKE.UNC), the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and questions relating to gender, age and the amount of time spent on daily caregiving.Results: Re…
Stress and Psychological Distress in Emerging Adulthood: A Gender Analysis
Emerging adulthood is a critical period of life that entails many life transitions in living arrangements, relationships, education and employment, which can generate stress and psychological distress in the emerging adult. The aim of the present study was to assess the relevance of stress, coping styles, self-esteem and perceived social support in the distress of emerging adult women and men. The sample consists of 4816 people (50% females) from the Spanish general population, ranging in age from 18 to 29 years old. All participants were assessed through questionnaires and scales that assess psychological distress, stress, coping styles, self-esteem and social support. Women scored higher …